Mobile Home Anchoring System

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a system and method of installing or anchoring, to a fixed ground location, a conventional structure such as a mobile home or other residential structure or similar structure. Two rigid longitudinal beams are positioned under the structure to support the structure&#39;s weight. The beams are supported by multiple piles that are secured into the ground below. Multiple spaced stabilizers extend from the beams to support the perimeter edges of the mobile home. The piles each are of a specific design including helical elements extending from a central shaft. The piles are preferably secured in the ground with a non-vertical, angled, attitude.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to methods and systems for anchoring, or providing foundations for, prefabricated residential structures such as “mobile homes”. Herein, as is commonly understood, a mobile home is a residential living structure that is fabricated at a site distant from its location of intended use. As such, a mobile home is not constructed permanently secured to grounded foundation but, by definition, is constructed with the lowermost elements free from the ground to enable transportation. Most typically, a mobile home is constructed on or, post-construction, located on an undercarriage or beams that provide for transportation loads.

It is well known that many prefabricated residential structures such as mobile homes often suffer from insecure ground connection when in use at their intended sites. Various devices and methods have been used in the past to provide a more secure foundation or attachment, but each suffers from weaknesses including cost and susceptibility to ground movements, windloads and uplift forces. Because a great advantage of prefabricated structures is their reduced cost, using conventional, relatively expensive, foundations devices and constructions is not feasible. What is needed is a more secure system of securing prefabricated structures that is simple and has low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a system and method of installing or anchoring, to a fixed ground location, a conventional structure such as a mobile home or other residential structure or similar structure. Two rigid longitudinal beams are positioned under the supported structure to support the structure's weight. The lateral perimeter edges of the structure are supported by multiple rigid stabilizers that extend laterally and upward from the bottom of each beam to terminate at the structure's edge, near the outside wall of the structure and its weight.

The beams are supported by multiple piles that are secured within the ground below. The piles each include helical elements extending from a central shaft and are configured to be wound into the ground without excavation. At least some portion of the multiple piles are preferably secured in the ground with a non-vertical, angled, attitude to provide improved lateral rigidity. Each pile, and the aggregated piles, must have sufficient vertical load capacity to support the gross weight of the entire supported structure without substantial vertical displacement or settlement.

In methods according to the invention, multiple piles are secured into the ground. A prefabricated structure, including longitudinal beams is moved into place over the multiple piles and the beams secured to the piles. Additional bracing elements may be included to increase the connectivity between the structure and the beams and piles. Additional novel aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description of embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an end view of a conventional mobile home structure supported in conventional manner on rigid blocks according to the prior art.

FIG. 2A is a side view of a prefabricated structure located on beams secured to piles within the ground according to the invention.

FIG. 2B is a perspective partial view of the configuration of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 is a detailed illustration of the configuration of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a supported structure and the location of supporting piles according to the invention showing the relative placement and angles of the piles.

DETAILS OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an end view of a conventional mobile home supported in conventional manner on rigid blocks. The prefabricated residential structure 99 is supported on two beams 10 which are in turn supported on rigid masonry blocks 91. Blocks are similarly used to provide vertical support to the overhanging wall edges of the structure as shown. Often, vertical straps (not shown) are used to tie the beams 10 and structure 99 to anchors buried in the supporting ground.

FIG. 2A is a two-dimensional side view of one embodiment of the invention. A prefabricated residential structure 99 is supported on two parallel beams 10 having a conventional “I” beam configuration. The length aspect of the beams is not shown but will be understood to be continuous and similar over the extent of each of the beams 10. The beams are substantially horizontal and parallel and designed to support and secure the weight and distribution of the structure 99 in conventional manner and extend substantially the entire length of the structure 99 to support the weight of the structure 99 by bearing against the bottom horizontal surfaces of the structure 99. The construction of the beams 10 follows conventional design. While the configuration shown includes two beams 10, and this configuration is most common, the inventive devices and methods may be used in applications where more than two beams are used.

According to the invention, additional bracing and vertical load bearing is provided by multiple rigid stabilizers 34 that extend rigidly from the beams 10 to be secured at a point on the structure 99 near the furthest edge of the structure 99. The configuration of the beams 10 on the structure is preferably symmetric such that the stabilizers 34 on the opposing sides are identical in the embodiment shown. However, unsymmetric configurations may be similarly used with incidental greater complexity in load paths and stabilizer design.

The function of the stabilizers 34 is to support the structure 99 at its perimeter edge distant from the beams 10 (in place of conventional masonry support). Such edge support may not always be required, however the majority of mobile home structures require such edge support.

To stabilize the beams 10 and balance the loads in the stabilizers 34, a rigid lateral support 32 extends between the two beams 10. Preferably, each stabilizer 34 is terminated at a respective beam 10 at a location very close to a respective lateral support 32 to provide for a simple and effective load transfer path between them.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the configuration of FIG. 2A showing only one of the beams 10 and an exemplary multiple of stabilizers 34 to illustrate their relative configuration. Preferably, the stabilizers 34 are generally equally inter-spaced to minimize the load carried by any one stabilizer, however, the number and spacing in a particular application may be determined by conventional methods. The structure 99 is only shown in dashed representative form for clarity. The lateral supports and other elements of the invention are not illustrated for clarity.

Each beam 10 is supported on and connected to multiple piles 20. Each pile 20 is secured substantially within the ground beneath the structure location. Fasteners or other connection devices rigidly secure the beams 10 to the piles 20.

FIG. 3 is a detailed illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 2A, also showing details of one exemplary pile 20 supporting a beam 10. The supported structure 99 is located on a top flange 11 or other upward facing surface of the beam 10. A downward facing surface 12 of the beam 10 is received by a pile 20. Most typically, a supported conventional structure such as considered here includes a perimeter wall 98 that has inherently substantial weight that must be supported. Transfer of that weight to the beams 10 through the internal elements of the structure 99 is not effective and would result in unacceptable deflections and distortion of the structure 99. In the present invention, this vertical load is supported by the stabilizers 34. To minimize the transfer of load through the structure 99, the stabilizer 34 should be connected rigidly beneath and as close as possible to the vertical plane of the wall 98 (at the edge of the structure 99). To support the full length of the wall 98, multiple independent stabilizers 34 are provided, spaced over the length of the beam 10. The inter-stabilizer spacing is dependent on the capacity of the individual stabilizers 34 and, somewhat, the flexibility of the wall 98 and overall structure 99.

The specific design of each stabilizer 34 can be determined using conventional load and stress analysis and design conventions for compression supports. Preferably, a rigid connection plate is provided secured to the structure for each stabilizer 34. Preferably also, each stabilizer 34 includes a telescoping feature that allows length adjustment for in-field installation and accommodation of variations. For example, each elongated stabilizer 34 may be formed of two steel tubing lengths of respective appropriate diameters to allow them to mutually engage by sliding the end of one into the other, with an appropriate locking device.

Each stabilizer 34 is matched with a respective lateral support 32, designed and connected to balance the loads to be supported by the stabilizer 34. The ends of the lateral support 32 should be secured to the beam 10 at a location very close to its respective stabilizer 34, or directly to the stabilizer 34. The specific design of each lateral support 32 may follow that of the stabilizer 34 provided above. Multiple connection brackets may be provided to enable a secure connection between one end of each stabilizer 34 and lateral support 32 and the beams 10.

Depending on the relative magnitude of the compressive load required to be supported by the stabilizers 34 and lateral support 32, each may require bracing to increase buckling strength. The particular requirements and bracing design in a specific installation can be determined using conventional design guidelines.

One configuration of a helical pile is included in FIG. 3 (the helical elements are not shown). Each pile preferably includes length adjusting features such as the telescoping sections 23 that may be locked after adjustment. A beam bracket 22 is provided at the top of the pile 20 and is designed to provide a secure and rigid connection to the beam. Preferably, the bracket 22 has a leveling feature such as the plate illustrated that may be adjusted in angle of presentation to the beam 10 to beam the bottom of the beam 10. This adjustment feature will allow for accommodation of incidental angular differences as well as the designed batter angle of the pile 20.

The piles 20 should be located and arranged to provide distributed support to the beams 10 and the structure 99 sufficient for known loadings such as lateral wind loads and uplift. FIG. 4 illustrates a suggested pile arrangement providing lateral support in all directions. The arrows indicate the angular direction (batter) from vertical of each associated pile 20. The angle or amount of batter may vary depending on the specific needs. In FIG. 4, the beams 10 and structure 99 are illustrated in dashed line for clarity.

To meet requirements herein for securing residential prefabricated structures, a pile design includes helical flight flanges to provide substantial axial load resistance relative to the intended loaded weight, in both tension and compression. Such piles are commonly referred to as screw piles, steel screw-in foundations, screw piers, helical piles, helical anchors, screw anchors, screw foundations and helical piers. They are wound (screwed) into the undisturbed ground. Forming or providing a preinstallation hole or cavity to accept the pile is not an element of their installation. An example of an acceptable pile are those provided by Ram Jack Systems Distribution, LLC of Ada, Okla., USA. At least some portion of the multiple piles are preferably secured in the ground with a non-vertical, angled, attitude to provide improved lateral rigidity. Each pile, and the aggregated piles, must have sufficient vertical load capacity, when installed, to support the gross weight of the supported structure without substantial vertical displacement or settlement.

The invention includes methods of securing structures such as pre-fabricated residential structures to the ground. Multiple piles are positioned and secured into the ground in a pattern to match a predetermined beam configuration. A prefabricated structure, including supporting beams in the determined beam configuration is positioned over the piles and the beams are rigidly secured to them.

The above description regards specific embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments incorporating the same novel aspects will be obvious to one skilled in the art, or will become obvious in the future, and incorporation of future materials, structure and methods may be possible in exercising the same inventive aspects. For example, the same devices and methods may be used to support other similar structures that are not residential in nature and are not mobile homes. 

1. A method of supporting a mobile home structure comprising: supporting a mobile home on two parallel horizontal rigid beams; securing each of multiple rigid stabilizers to a beam and to a perimeter edge of the mobile home to provide a vertical load path therebetween; securing multiple helical piles into the ground; locating the mobile home above the multiple helical piles; securing each of the helical piles to one associated beam, such that the piles together vertically support the mobile home.
 2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising: adjusting the length of at least one of the piles to reach the respective beam.
 3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising: adjusting the angle of a portion of the pile to before securing the pile to the beam.
 4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising: horizontally supporting each beam to balance the loads transmitted thereto by the stabilizers.
 5. The method of claim 1, and wherein: a portion of the multiple piles are secured with a non-vertical angle. 